Who? What? When? Why!...Where is up to you!

Let us help you in planning your event. How to plan for food, who to plan for and how many.

Having 10 Food Trucks for a 100 people? This is definitely for you.

Vendors PLEASE take a few minutes to read thru. If we're all on the same page, we all benefit. We promise not to disclose your I.P Address of 66.56.243.224, you're safe....ish

**Number of trucks that should attend an event: Often mobile food vendors will recommend that you have one food truck for every 200-300 attendees, if the event is focused around eating. If it is not primarily an “eating” event, that ratio should be closer to one food truck for every 400-500 attendees. For food trucks to have a successful event they need to average at least 40-60 customer per hour.

**Attendance estimates: Mobile food vendors will often begin ordering and preparing for large events days in advance. Food trucks work hard to prep and have the proper amount of food for the number of attendees they expect to feed. As the event date approaches, it’s important for the organizer to communicate to each truck whether the expected number of attendees has gone up or down from the original estimate. Providing these updates a week in advance and 48 hours in advance are the ideal times to do so.

**Fee structure: When hiring or requesting a food truck or mobile vendor for your event, trucks and vendors can be compensated in a number of ways.
*By the event organizer: This is similar to hiring a caterer; you simply contract with the food truck to serve a particular number of people within a certain budget or by a designated menu, or a combination of both.
*By the attendees: This is similar to street service. A truck or vendor is requested to provide service at a specific location or event, and the attendees then pay for food directly to the truck or vendor. Keep in mind that in this scenario, most food trucks will need to do 45-60 sales or more per hour. This payment method is most common for larger events or at locations where there will be significant foot traffic with many people looking for a variety of food options.
*By guarantee: This is often the best solution for smaller events or to be able to have multiple food trucks at your occasion or event. The attendees pay for the food directly but the organizer agrees to guarantee a certain amount of sales.The organizer pays the difference between the actual sales at the event and the guaranteed amount.
*By vendors paying a fee: If asking a food truck or mobile food vendor to pay a flat fee to attend your event, keep in mind that the truck or vendor will need to earn 10 times the amount of the fee. A reasonable and often preferred alternative to a flat fee is for a food truck to pay between 5-10% of their sales at the event in lieu of the flat rate. If you are holding an event which charges an admission to the general public, and where you are expecting the food trucks to be a major attraction and help draw in crowds, there should not be a fee for the food truck to attend.

**Types of food: Close consideration needs to be given to the food type that food trucks serve. If it is determined that you need five trucks for an event, the right balance of type of food is essential to the success of the event. With too many of the same type of trucks without balancing the type of food being served, your attendees may not have a good experience, and the food trucks may not have a successful event.

**Pre-event requirements: When attending events food trucks expect that all licensing, permitting, and fees for the event are being taken care of by the event organizer. If there are any special licensing, insurance, or permitting requirements for the trucks to complete before the event, they should be communicated well in advance of the event.
**Reputable food trucks or vendors have insurance coverage, department of health certificates, business license, and sales tax ID. Make sure each truck or vendor has those before allowing them to be admitted to your event.

**Load-in times: (Psst! Other vendors reading this, PLEASE take note of the "should be's" Like, When to arrive..Nothing says unprofessional like arriving late) Preparation and set-up time varies by type of food, type of vehicle and many other factors.To prepare for an event, most food trucks will arrive 30-90 minutes prior to the event's start time. In case additional time may be needed to complete special inspections, licenses, or permits, please be sure to communicate those details to the food truck well ahead of the event in order to allow sufficient time for the food truck operator to arrive, set up and meet the additional requirements.

**Layout of trucks: Event organizers will have the best sense of how to lay out the mobile food vendors. It will often be determined by the size of the event space, the number and type of vendors, and what type of other activities and entertainment are scheduled. In many cases having food trucks parked together leads to the most success because it increases the ease and excitement of the experience.

**Keep in mind that no food truck wants to work on an incline and many can’t. Food trucks should be parked on flat surfaces. If trucks will be parked on any incline please communicate this in advance. Inclines encountered approaching a final parking position can also pose problems. Trucks may be over 25 feet in length and can bottom-out on particularly steep driveways. In addition, many trucks are 12-15 feet tall. Be mindful of low hanging wires and tree branches. Upon their arrival, communicate any areas of caution to the driver of the truck.

Who ever you allow to be at your event, make sure they are legal. Ask to see their business license (by law it is to be in their truck / trailer) Ask to see their Health Department Approved Certificate. Proof of insurance? Nothing worse then having YOU responsible for THEIR mistake.

Are they on the up and up? With technology these days, if a food truck or vendor only accepts cash, ask them why? Square as well as other mobile able credit card companies make it affordable and convenient for ANYONE to accept debit / credit.

**Waste facilities: For larger, well-attended events, having adequate public trash cans, recycling bins, and restrooms should be a consideration. Having restrooms conveniently located for the food truck operators is always appreciated.